Eleftheria Pancyprian SC
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‹ Coaching Points

Heading

Attacking and defensive heading, plus the snap and the skip.

Top 3

  1. 1.Get your body in line with the ball
  2. 2.Attack the ball — meet it at the top of the jump
  3. 3.Eyes open, mouth closed, chin tucked

General

  • Get the body in line with the ball
  • Square hips and shoulders to the target when you can
  • Chin tucked in before contact
  • Load the body: bend the knees and arch the back before the ball arrives
  • Snap the torso forward to meet the ball
  • Eyes open, mouth closed
  • One-footed take-off from a run to jump higher
  • Take off from the foot nearest a side-on challenger to stay balanced
  • Point the take-off foot at the target so the body turns that way in the air
  • Meet the ball at the top of the leap
  • Bent arms slightly in front of the body as a protective barrier
  • Contact on the flat, hard part of the forehead

Attacking

  • Head the ball down — to a teammate's feet or down towards goal
  • Contact the top half of the ball to send it down

Defending

  • Head it to a teammate when possession is possible
  • High, wide and far when it isn't
  • Contact slightly below the middle of the ball to send it up, and on the opposite side to the direction you want it to go

Snap

  • Turn the ball 90 degrees by snapping the head in the direction you want it to go
  • Best when you strike the middle of the ball or just below
  • Mostly an attacking move

Skip

  • Light contact to pop the ball on over a defender, keeping it travelling the same way
  • Contact the part of the ball closest to your head
  • Mostly attacking; also used on back passes and to skip crosses beyond the far post
Say it on the pitch
Attack itEyes openHead it down

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